June 29, 2009

By the time my show, La Vida Intensa at Hillyer Art Space, was in full swing, I got an email from an Interior designer doing work for a new Greek restaurant on Capitol Hill. Apparently she had picked up one of my postcards at my tent during last year’s Arts on Foot (another lesson in getting out there to be seen) and wanted me to paint a mural for the new place. The opportunity was too great to pass up even though we were busy packing for our trip to introduce our son to my wife’s family in Argentina, so I accepted. It had been a while since I had painted a mural, so it was interesting to have to think again about what paint to use, how to get up there (scaffolding), and how to transfer my final drawing onto the wall. In the end everything went smoothly, I finished in one week; one day before we left for our trip and three days before the restaurant opened.

For those of you interested in checking out the mural and want to sample the really delicious food, head over to Cava Mezze on 8 st SE in Capitol Hill (just a couple of doors down from the new Matchbox).

The show is over and now long gone, but I thought that I’d post a few thoughts about the opening and mid-show opening.

Opening Night: After an extremely long and hectic week (the birth of my son) it was great to see friends, family and a ton of people I didn’t know show up to see what I had been working on all of those months. I didn’t have a chance to really talk to anyone (as is always the case at one of these things) but I met a lot of new people interested in my art. It was a great turnout, breaking Hillyer’s attendance record (over 500) and leaving me even more dazed and tired, but happy.

(mid)Opening Night: So the show was up for almost 2 months and mid-way through, Hillyer held a second “opening.” This time the crowd was more manageable and I could actually relax and had the opportunity to have conversations about my work. It’s funny, but after coming up with ideas for paintings, I have a tendency to be more interested in the actual application of paint rather than the subject of the painting. Those conversations with complete strangers sort of bring me back to the larger picture (in terms of what I am hoping to convey with my art) and can be quite inspiring. Also, having my wife and son be able to attend was another bonus!

Wrap-up: I have to say I’m extremely happy with the way the show turned out. The Hillyer staff was wonderfully flexible since I wasn’t too available in the days preceding the show (because of the birth) and installed everything without me. They did a great job of promoting the show and in the end it just about sold out!